lifestyle

Texas Lands in Top 10 for the Best States for Road Trips

Every year, WalletHub pits the 50 U.S. states against one another to find the best states for road trips, and the worst. While last year Texas didn't land anywhere near the Top 10 for the Best States, this year it is proudly claiming the sixth spot in the list, sandwiched between neighboring Louisiana (#5) and sleeper pick Nevada (#7).

The financial site compared all 50 states through the same three lenses: costs, safety, and activities. For cost, price points including toll costs, gas prices, 3-star hotel costs, and the cost of living index played into the categorizations. For safety, vehicle miles, population density, road quality, and violent crimes were also factored into the rankings. For activities, the idealness of summer weather, access to scenic byways, and nightlife options contributed to a state's position on the list.

44. Arkansas

43. Kansas

42. New Jersey

41. Montana

What do you think about these rankings? As someone who's happily trekked through Pennsylvania, Montana, and New Jersey plenty of times, it seems that these absolutely beautiful states are getting the short end of the stick for road trips. New Jersey is so much more than a parking lot for New York, y'all!

However, it's impossible to deny the appeal of the top 10 states for road trips, as they feature some of the best coastlines and mountain ranges in the country. And as for Texas, well, we already knew that.